Simplicity saves dollars. Simple.

We can now do far more in AV, and the evolution is far from slowing down. But isn’t there a case for now using technology to make things simple again? Is the industry forgetting to Keep It Simple, Stupid?

Barco is at the fore of the incredible evolution in the AV market. Like many of our competitors, we are seeing huge interest in the jumps from HD to 4K and now possibly to 8K (although we will have something to say about that subject later). At the same time, new levels of brightness and color performance are really opening the possibilities for many users. So far, so cool.

But here’s the thing: we see another battle on the horizon. It’s not something many people really talk about, but is one that affects everyone that ever has to load a van and put on a show, event or fixed install.

The battle is: simplicity.

Try this. How do you present yourself to prospects? Until now, the market approach was generally to talk to people about what we can do. Barco thinks that the key driver now should be to talk to people about what more they can achieve. They now have a larger canvas, can light a far greater surface, project onto different canvases or use content in its native format.

So the story is no longer about having a 4K file on your hard disk, it’s about having the ability to use more light output in far more interesting ways.

But of course, “simple” means different things to different people depending on whether you are an integrator, a supplier or an end client. For us, it means: simplicity in setting it up; connecting it together; avoiding multiple conversions and manual interventions; having fewer links in the chain; and being easy to transport.

Needs of the rental and installation community

This pursuit of simplicity stems from another core belief at Barco: the business needs of the rental and installation community and the audience experience are the only valid drivers of innovation. In practice, what does this mean? What sort of questions drive this?

What if you no longer needed fiber converters for long distances, with projectors and processors directly connecting through fiber? Easy with peer-to-peer connection of projection/E2 through fiber. What about the hours we lose carrying out manual alignment of projector blends or 3D surface mappings? Auto-alignment software with integrated cameras fixes that. Any chance of reducing the use of scissor lifts in events? Sure, with motorized frames so you can keep your projectors high in the truss for mechanical realignment, with the operator safely on the ground. What about getting rid of brightness and color uniformity issues across their projection fleet? Simply use Constant Light Output, another great time-saver.

And at the end of the day, all these things also save dollars.

Let’s do something epic

The common theme here is simplicity and immersion. More pixels, more brightness, more freedom and more simplicity. We maintain that they all go together. It seems obvious when you think about it. Let’s put the images at the center of the whole process again. Let’s raise the bar by removing as many limits as we can, be they technical, conceptual or logistical. And then go do something epic.